Happenings in Atenas

I had a good week here, switching between the Orchids and the Escuela. On Thursday there was only one woman who showed up at the orchids, so it was nice to sit there and talk with her as we worked (planting babies). We talked about everything from travel to her sons to why didn´t I steal the little orchid I saw in Monteverde. She also tried to explain the plot of the number one soap opera here, and as far as I can tell, there really isn´t one. I watched it a few times so that I could understand a little bit about what the women discuss as we work, and wow, it is the cheesiest thing ever, right down to the dramatic girls that are in love with the scruffy cowboys, and the fight scenes and the old mother who doesn´t approve. Wow.

Eight of the baby crocs survived, and they are so cute! I will put photos up when I figure out how to do that. One of the men that works at the front gate of the Escuela has the most awesome comb-over, full with curls. We asked a Tico and he said that they call it a Coca-Cola here. How awesome is that! They don´t have a word for mullet, however, but they do understand when you explain it as business in the front, party in the back.
On Friday I hung out a lot with some of the students there, and they are really cool. The fence that encloses the big mean adult crocs has been sort of caving in, so we had to take big posts and prop it up. There were eight of us working, and one had to be on watch so that a crocodile wouldn´t sneak up and eat us, no joke. It was pretty crazy. I got to use a chainsaw for the first time, and I saw my first real-life scorpion--I was being chased by it. The guys and Priscilla (who is so cool) invited me for a coffee, so it was cool to hang out with them a bit, and they really like Bryan Adams.

Yesterday I was on my way to go to the Volcan Poas and I had to change my plans because I was bitten by a mean little hyperactive dog. There are tons of dogs always hanging around everywhere, they have their own little communities even if they have owners, and they never bother you and you never touch them. Yesterday these rules were broken when this one little dog decided to take a bite out of my leg. The owner looked at my bitten leg and said that the dog was just a chicitita. But this was no little cutesy thing, this was a man-eating evil dog. I freaked out because I thought I was going to get rabies and have be be shot like Old Yeller, but it turns out all I needed were antibiotics and that I don´t need stitches. Good thing. I ended up just going to the Megamall outside of San Jose with my Tica mom and little sister. It was fun--we saw Madagascar in Spanish and then went shopping (they have Zara and Mango here)(!!!!!)
Today I did make it to the Volcan without being wounded again in the process. It was really beautiful, and it really smelled of sulfur. There is also the Laguna Botos which is beautiful and that is where I had my avocado for lunch! I met some cool biologists from CA (also traveling independently), and one is working at Corcovado, which is where I am going to go with my dad and my cousin, so we will get a little insider´s tour! How cool!
Anyways, a new week starts tomorrow, and hopefully there won´t be any change in the rabies situation!